With recruitment and retention of great team members still a hot topic in the industry, Family First’s head of talent Jamie Gordon explains why the group are doubling down on the offering for their people. Earlier this year, Ofsted released an article explaining how they felt early years settings could maintain quality in the face of [...]
Children’s development at 22 months old has been shown to be a predictor of academic outcomes at the age of 26. With babies now being funded from September, we can support that development, explains Oliiki app founder Clare Stead Are we confident that our staff fully understand the needs of our babies, and can our staff [...]
Beyond the daily operations of ensuring a safe, nurturing environment for children, Birdi & Coare a first-hand witness to the legal struggles that nursery owners navigate every day. In this article, I explore the key legal pitfalls that nursery owners face and provide guidance on how to avoid them. I also delve into the emerging role [...]
Sophie Hutton, speech and language therapist and chief executive of Nest Therapy nurseryprovision, suggests ways to support early years educators in addressing speech, languageand communication delay Are you seeing more children in your settings who find it difficult to answer a question, tell you what they need, or chat to their friends? If so, you’re not [...]
An independent report commissioned by the County Councils Network and Local Government Association calls on the government to address the systemic challenges within the SEND system. The report states that the “The SEND system is broken” and that “the growing reality is that a combination of unexpected need and unintended perverse incentives in the system exacerbated [...]
Nicole Williamson, chief executive of Education Child Protection explores how to embed a safeguarding culture effectively in your nursery setting The belief that “it could happen here” is the cornerstone of a robust safeguarding culture. This mindset not only prepares us to act swiftly and effectively but also underpins the development of an environment where the [...]
Stephen Morgan MP has been appointed as minister with responsibility for the early years. Morgan, the MP for Portsmouth South, served as shadow schools minister from December 2021 until September 2023. In the 2023 shadow cabinet reshuffle Catherine McKinnell returned to the frontbench as shadow schools minister, replacing Morgan. Prior to entering Parliament, Morgan worked across the charity sector [...]
Labour pledged to create more than 100,000 new nursery places for children from nine months old, with a promise to help drive up the quality of care delivered and to support parents get back into work The party plans to set up more than 3,300 new nurseries in existing primary schools in England to support a [...]
Your Co-op Little Pioneers is relaunching one of its Bristol nursery settings after a £435k investment. Your Co-op Little Pioneers Bristol will be relaunched on Saturday 8 June. Both Bristol settings, Your Co-op Little Pioneers Bristol and Your Co-op Little Pioneers Emersons Green are currently recruiting at all levels of experience and to incentivise staff, [...]
The Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood has published a new report that highlights the financial benefits to investing in the early years sector. The report, ‘Prioritising early childhood for a happier, healthier society’ was produced by Deloitte on behalf of the Taskforce and sets out how a greater focus on early childhood would support [...]
Wow it’s tricky navigating this early years funding system. With each step of the funded process there has been complications and disjointed grey areas. The team at Nursery In a Box speaks to NMT about the current funding challenges facing nurseries With so many changes happening around funding it’s not surprising that many nursery owners and [...]
NMT takes the temperature of the early years market and offer tips for marketing, launching a new nursery, and utislising artificial intelligence The early years sector is constantly moving forward and harnessing innovative technologies has become key for business growth and staff support. According to Christie & Co’s ‘2024 Business outlook’, competition across the market is set [...]
Kush Birdi, managing partner of Birdi & Co Solicitors, shares his essential insights to completing your nursery acquisitions in 2024 The childcare sector has recently found itself at the centre of a heated debate, which has been primarily triggered by the introduction (and extension) of the ‘free childcare plan’. Proponents argue that the plan is a [...]
Coram Childcare Survey 2024 revealed a ‘dramatic’ decrease in availability of childcare places, and that children with SEND are largely losing out. This year sees the start of the government’s plans to extend the provision of early education and care. The scheme will run across three stages: April 2024, working parents of two-year-olds will be able [...]
Local nursery and pre-school, Your Co-op Childcare Stonehouse has relaunched following a £355k investment. Located on Stonehouse Lane in Harbourne, the nursery has undergone a full refurbishment and rebrand becoming a Your Co-op Little Pioneers nursery and pre-school. This new setting delivers a tailored environment for children aged 0 to 5 years old to support their learning [...]
Briony Richter speaks to Leah Turner, co-founder of broker Owen Froebel shares her top tips for preparing a nursery for sale in 2024 New Year resolutions should be as true for your business as they are for yourself, and I fully recommend starting the first couple of months with a bang and preparing for a sale. [...]
The Department for Education has created a temporary fix for parents who are unable to access the new funded entitlement.
The Sutton Trust report highlights the inequalities in access to existing entitlements, how many hours children are likely to benefit from it, and potential changes that would help to widen access This year will be a turning point for childcare in England with more political attention on the sector than there has been for years. However [...]
Specialist business property advisor, Christie & Co, has announced the sale of Teepee Private Day Nursery, in Bracknell, Berkshire. Teepee is a 53-place nursery that was established over 20 years ago by its former owner Emma Tennant, who, prior to owning a nursery, worked in marketing. By combining her skill sets and knowledge, Emma founded Teepee; [...]
The changing nature of early years qualifications, updates to the EYFS, and ambiguities in official guidance can make it difficult to know whether a specific member of staff has the right qualifications.
The government-funded Experts and Mentors programme aims to support nursery managers and practitioners to tackle day-to-day challenges. Charlotte Goddard finds out how the scheme is progressing.
Global clothing brand Superdry has selected Busy Bees to provide discounted childcare to support its UK working parents. The partnership offers Superdry’s employees an affordable childcare solution, with a 20% discount on fees at any of Busy Bees’ national network of more than 350 nurseries, no registration fees and their first week of childcare free. Superdry’s people [...]
The government's Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs programme has launched a new website to support early years practitioners with access to free training, events and resources.
Earlier this year, the Chancellor announced that from September 2023 onwards, early years providers within the UK would have the option to change their staff-to-child ratios from 1:4 to 1:5. Despite widespread opposition from parents and practitioners to the proposed increase, this change to the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) has still been implemented. In response [...]
The Ofsted complaints process is undergoing a series of changes that the regulatory body pledges to implement as soon as possible Over the last couple of years there has been increasing strife between Ofsted and providers, heightened post Covid-19 and the sector has been calling for an overhaul of the system. On 12 June 2023, Ofsted [...]
Maintaining operational excellence is a crucial aspect of running a nursery group, as it directly influences the quality of care provided to children and the satisfaction of parents. Briony Richter explores how to find the perfect balance Achieving and sustaining operational excellence involves a combination of effective management practices, staff development, continuous improvement, and a strong [...]
The Chancellor’s commitment to increase the National Living Wage to more than £11 an hour will be “the final nail in the coffin for settings” unless funding rises in line with salaries, the early years sector has warned.
The co-creator of a free workbook to support nurseries to improve diversity, inclusion and belonging hopes it will spark a “cultural sea-change in the profession.”
Building relationships with parents is a key part of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Charlotte Goddard asked two Outstanding-rated nurseries to share their best practice
Don’t miss out! We’ll help you plan the next seven days with our round-up of everything that’s happening in the early years sector.
David Johnston, Conservative MP for Wantage has been appointed as the new children, families and wellbeing minister, taking over from Claire Coutinho In the Prime Minister’s mini reshuffle, Claire Coutinho, MP for East Surrey has become energy secretary, replacing Grant Shapps, now defence secretary. Johnston was elected as MP for Wantage in 2019. Purnima Tanuku OBE, chief executive [...]
According to the latest IFS survey, nearly half of parents (47%) reported that their child’s social and emotional skills had declined during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. Only one in six children saw improvement in social and emotional skills during this time. The research points to the previous couple of years of economic turbulence [...]
Educational resources supplier Findel has hired Trans2 Performance (T2) to support the company’s ongoing growth strategy. The company will look to provide an initial cohort of 50 colleagues with skills development and leadership training through the programme. T2 is a Hull-based workplace performance specialist. It focuses on providing training across leadership, management, sales, customer service, speaking and [...]
Four nursery groups have been recognised in an annual list of the UK’s best workplaces for women.
Don’t miss out! We’ll help you plan the next seven days with our round-up of everything that’s happening in the early years sector. Learn about self-compassion on International Self-care Day Able Futures is running a free webinar on Monday 24 July, International Self-care Day. It will cover how being compassionate to ourselves is an important way to [...]
Poor nutrition affects children’s ability to focus and can lower cognitive function, which is why it’s critical to employ and train chefs who understand all-around health and development, explains Sean Cowden, chef lecturer at LEYF Chef Academy Talk us through how the LEYF nutrition journey began? Working with small children is a political act. Children are the [...]
Christie & Co have released its annual Childcare & Education: Mid-Year Review 2023 report The report analyses the childcare markets in the first half of 2023, including UK day nurseries, international ECEC, specialist childcare and children’s social care, independent education, and SEND schools. Christie & Co mid-year review key points from the report From 2022 to 2023 [...]
Supporting neurodivergent staff to be comfortable and successful at work is beneficial for everyone. Charlotte Goddard talks to nursery managers to find out more
In our series showcasing the sector’s nursery managers, we find out more about Madeleine Clancy, nursery manager at N Family Club’s N Twickenham.
Nurseries are continuing to close at a significantly fast rate. Research conducted by the NDNA revealed that 50% more closures happened in 2022-23 compared with the previous year. As the early years sector in England is preparing for a massive expansion of government-funded childcare from April 2024, this raises serious questions about whether there will be [...]
In a bid to reduce spending commitments ahead of the next general election, the party is now considering a means-tested offer rather than universal free childcare According to the Guardian, Labour has now ruled out delivering free childcare for children over nine months. The sources stated that the move comes as the party aims to [...]
Like many sectors, early years is feeling the squeeze from the cost of living crisis. Matt Arnerich, director of brand and comms at Famly explains how software providers can support nurseries with business tools and resources What has Famly been up to recently? Big question. We’ve just launched our new platform packages, bringing with them a bunch [...]
In September 1983 he began his early years career as the only male on the course. John Warren, director at Toddletown explains the importance of encouraging more men into the sector I went to collect an application form from the local college and was told by the receptionist that we don’t accept men onto the nursery [...]
Childbase Partnership has secured a top position as one of the best places to work after making it on the prestigious Sunday Times list. This achievement comes just two weeks after being named the only early years provider in the Top 20 of the UK ‘Great Place to Work’ awards. In The Sunday Times Very [...]
Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has announced the sale of The Wishing Tree Children’s Nursery in Brighton. The Wishing Tree Nursery is a family-owned day nursery that opened its doors in 2004. It is set in a beautiful, detached house next door to Withdean Park off Carden Avenue – one of the main roads [...]
Morgan Allen, partner at Gerald Eve explains the government’s Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) and the potentially huge impact on nurseries The Government’s Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) Regulations came into effect on 1 April 2018, which outlawed the renewal of existing tenancies or grant of new tenancies within buildings that have an EPC rating of [...]
One in four UK parents have had to quit a job or drop out of education to avoid the rocketing cost of childcare, Theirworld survey has found. The Theirworld survey, conducted by Hall + Partners polled more than 7,000 parents and carers with children under school age across the UK, US, the Netherlands, India, Brazil, Turkey [...]
Chris Reid, founder and chief executive of Connect Childcare, shares his thoughts on the data security responsibilities of operators and software providers The early years sector is facing increasing concerns about data and cybersecurity. The fact that settings collect, store and use sensitive information about young children and their families –including financial data – often makes [...]
Kush Birdi, managing partner of Birdi & Co Solicitors, shares his insider tips for a smooth acquisition when buying a day nursery Buying a day nursery can be an exciting journey for many reasons. For starters, it’s a great opportunity to make a positive impact on children’s lives by providing a safe and nurturing environment for [...]
Specialist business property advisor, Christie & Co, has announced the leasehold sale of a pair of Shropshire day nursery settings; Lawley Day Nursery and Apley Day Nursery. Together, the two nurseries have capacity to care for up to 392 children. They are ideally located in Telford, Shropshire, in densely populated areas with excellent access to local [...]
Connect Childcare is hosting an easy-to-digest, and engaging webinar on Wednesday 22nd March at 6-7pm GMT, via Zoom about one of the most undiscussed (and let’s face it, quite dry) topics for the early years sector — data security and compliance. While it’s a vitally important consideration on a nursery manager’s radar, it’s often not really [...]
Kush Birdi, managing partner of Birdi & Co Solicitors, explains 5 ways to recession-proof your nursery business The childcare sector – like most sectors – was hugely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, but we’ve recently seen a return towards fairly normal times. The M&A market continues to be buoyant with interest from competing buyers as strong [...]
Despite the chronic lack of funding needed to support our neurodivergent and disabled children, there are always ways we can support them, says Cheryl Bedding, neurodiversity specialist at Aperion Training An investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism revealed the funding black hole in England for supporting children with diverse needs has risen by £465 million [...]
The Lord Lieutenant of Dorset has met with Tops Day Nurseries Wimborne, on Leigh Road, to award them with a Queens Award for enterprise in sustainable development Angus Campbell Esq, HM Lord-Lieutenant of Dorset, joined Cheryl Hadland, managing director of Tops Day Nurseries, to officially award the nursery chain. Following the official ceremony, Angus Campbell Esq observed [...]
Kush Birdi, managing partner of Birdi & Co Solicitors, explains his guide to selling your nursery in 2023. Are you thinking about selling your nursery in 2023? The sale process can be overwhelming but, with the right guidance and preparation, it can be a smooth and successful transition. Here, we guide you on what to expect [...]
Over the last couple of years, insurers have moved away from 20 years of “soft market” conditions where we saw low rates, high limits of indemnity and flexible policy wordings with substantial extensions and wider benefits says Jackie Hyde, managing director, dot2dot We are currently in a “hard” insurance market where insurers are no longer [...]
Onward has published First Steps: Fixing childcare which analysed the UK childcare system Currently, the UK is struggling through a cost of living crises with prices and wages not meeting inflation levels. This had played a direct role in harming the UK’s childcare system even further and made access to services even more difficult. The [...]
There is no greater feeling for an early years leader than to be awarded an outstanding Ofsted grade. To have the hard work and dedication of the whole team recognised in this way often serves to strengthen practice and boost team morale. This feeling is equally felt with external agencies that work collaboratively with settings, and [...]
Specialist business property advisor, Christie & Co, has announced the sale of two well-established Glasgow day nursery settings; Sinclair Nursery and Victoria Park Kindergarten. Sinclair Nursery, which is located on Sinclair Drive, is registered to care for up to 98 children, and Victoria Park Kindergarten, located on Dumbarton Road, is registered for up to 140. The settings [...]
In October, the annual judging day for the very prestigious 20th National NMT Awards 2022 returned. For the past few years I have had the great pleasure of being invited to judge the awards alongside many hugely experienced, highly respected and well known early years professionals including chief executives, providers, consultants and industry suppliers. I [...]
Boots has partnered with global nursery provider, Busy Bees, to offer its team members access to discounted childcare fees With more than 350 Busy Bees nurseries across the UK, this new partnership will offer Boots team members a childcare benefit solution with 10% off their childcare fees at all UK Busy Bees Nurseries. Alongside this, Boots [...]
The rising cost of energy is impacting households and businesses across the UK and this Winter, rates are expected to soar even higher On October 1 2022, the government launched the Energy Bills Relief Scheme, which will provide support with energy costs relief to eligible organisations until at least through to 31st March 2023. In parallel, [...]
A weakening currency, increased mortgage rates and rising costs all make for rather difficult times ahead. You’ve looked at your costs and you have started cutting them sensibly to remain lean. You’ve also looked at your prices and put them up in line with inflation. Jonathan Amponsah CTA FCCA and chief executive of The Tax [...]
Michael Tomlinson, MP, opened Tops Bearwood, planting an apple tree in the grounds with the children and managing director Cheryl Hadland Michael Tomlinson has met with local childcare provider Tops Day Nurseries at the new nursery Tops Bearwood on Magna Road, Bearwood and pledged his commitment to support local childcare providers, parents and children. Michael revealed a [...]
Kush Birdi, managing partner of Birdi & Co Solicitors, answers the frequently asked questions of nursery sellers about the legal process You may be thinking about preparing your nursery for sale in the coming years or maybe you have already agreed principle terms with a potential buyer. Either way, selling your nursery business takes considerable and [...]
Creative Flair Childcare Ltd comprises a pair of ‘home from home’ day nurseries in Coventry and in Kenilworth. Together, they provide care for up to 75 children, from birth to pre-school. The business aims to “encourage children to grow, learn and develop as confident and unique little people through creative experiences in the arts.” Creative Flair Childcare [...]
Professional development is important to an early childhood educatorbecause it allows them to expand their knowledge, share best practice,network, and most importantly, remain current in their field. Training anddevelopment is a career-long process and one that Kids Inc is committed todelivering says Abbey Towsey, lead early years trainer 1. You have launched a new Training Academy, [...]
Bright Horizons Lancaster Day Nursery and Preschool has been rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted following its most recent inspection, with the report praising the leadership within the professional team. The nursery received its inspection on July 14th and was rated as ‘Outstanding’ in all four areas of inspection: The quality of education; Behaviour and attitudes; Personal development; [...]
Specialist business property advisor, Christie & Co, has announced the sale of a group of three ‘Outstanding’ rated Egg Day Nursery settings in Hampshire.The Egg Day Nursery business is a well-established, profitable day nursery group, which is renowned for providing high-quality childcare for up to 181 children across the three settings; one in Picket Twenty, [...]
As inflation soars, we’re experiencing the worst drop in living standards since the 1970s Your nursery needs a strategy to help with the cost of living and the cost of running the setting, explains, Jonathan Amponsah CTA FCCA and chief executive of the tax guys. Cutting costs without crippling your nursery In addition to staff retention and price [...]
Karen Derbyshire, Realise, shares her thoughts on why implementing the right apprenticeship programme is vital to the success of any early years setting
Technology often plays a significant part in helping settings achieve their expansion goals, not to mention being a key productivity driver
New research finds half of early years and primary educators feel training and CPD has had little impact Despite the vast majority of early years settings and primary schools providing CPD for their staff, new research has found that almost half (49%) of early years educators and primary teachers reported that CPD accessed in the past [...]
Coulter-Consulting, specialist nursery brokers/consultants, are pleased to announce the sale of Rushcliffe Day Nurseries Limited after short and highly confidential sales process. The Rushcliffe group comprises three large day nurseries, all in the East Midlands. The locations are West Bridgford, Radcliffe -On -Trent and Ruddington Nottinghamshire. The group has a combined capacity for nearly 300 children and [...]
Following an asset transfer from Dundee City Council, and thanks to funding from the Social Innovation Partnership, Access to Childcare Fund and other grant funders, Flexible Childcare Services Scotland (FCSS) has renovated a former, 10-year derelict, nursery into a new state of the art Childcare & Community Hub. The new centre, Fintry Mains, Community & Childcare [...]
Specialist early years training provider, Eden Training Solutions, carried out Google keyword research to discover the most popular questions around SENCo, and asked its in-house experts, Carly Smith and Jenn Rowbotham, to give their straight and honest answers: What is the difference between SEND and SENCo? SEND is an acronym for the term given to individuals with [...]
Conor Burns has met with local childcare provider Tops Day Nurseries at the nursery in Herbert Avenue, Parkstone and pledged his commitment to support local childcare providers, parents and children Conor Burns, MP joined Micah Faure, legal director of Tops Day Nurseries to congratulate Tops on winning a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development and [...]
Kids Planet Day Nurseries has acquired Church House Day Nursery in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, taking the group’s total number of settings to 114 Church House Day Nursery accepts children from across the West Midlands area, and has been trading for 40 years. The nursery believes that all children are special and equally valuable, and provides reliable and [...]
Bright Horizons is the home of passionate experts in early years care and education. For more than 30 years, we have been responding to the evolving needs of families, employees and businesses. Caroline Wright, director of Early Childhood details more about the Bright Beginnings curriculum Our experienced and dedicated early childhood team deliver truly unique learning [...]
Louise Playford, head of business development (M&A) at Bright Horizons, recently joined the panel at the first NMT Owners Club event to provide insight to nursery owners as they consider their journeys ahead. The NMT Owners Club is an advisory hub exclusively for nursery owners who are looking to looking to buy, sell or expand. Through [...]
Shadow minister for Children & Early Years, Helen Hayes and London’s Walking and Cycling commissioner, Will Norman were among selected guests attending an exclusive breakfast event to launch the newly refurbished Deanery Road Nursery & Pre-School in Newham, part of London Early Years Foundation (LEYF), and to showcase LEYF’s research on the role of bikes in [...]
National building services specialist Linaker has announced its appointment by Bright Horizons to manage the facilities at their portfolio of over 300 nursery settings The five-year contract will start on July 1 2022. Linaker has developed and will be implementing a bespoke, full hard service solution, which will be tailored to each setting. Linaker will ensure [...]
Stephen Morgan has met with local childcare provider Cheryl Hadland of Tops Day Nurseries at the nursery in Bruce Road, Southsea and pledged his commitment to support local childcare providers, parents and children. Stephen Morgan, MP joined Cheryl Hadland, managing director of Tops Day Nurseries for a tour of the re-opened Tops Day Nursery, Southsea on [...]
Culture is where you meet others and the environment you individually and collectively create together. Sid Madge, Meee shares more In this context is it easy to see why culture has such a massive impact on business. It’s also quite easy to appreciate just how hard it is to change culture. It can be changed or [...]
The Early Years Alliance has commented on the confirmation from children and families minister Will Quince that the government is planning to review early years ‘regulation’ in a bid to cut childcare costs for parents The admission came in an interview during Radio 4’s Today programme in response to a question from presenter Nick Robinson, who [...]
By using play therapy, children are able to learn more helpful behaviours and understand their emotions in an environment that nurtures their feelings and mental health. NMT speaks to Sophia O’Neill, course director, postgraduate MA in Practice-Based Play Therapy about the next steps needed to bring play therapy to the mainstream. Over the course of the [...]
New findings from research commissioned by Fisher-Price and Family Action, show that a third of parents are worried their children have been held back Fisher-Price and Family Action have joined forces to launch a charitable partnership and programme of parent and child-focused activities to help alleviate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on 0 to 5-year-olds’ [...]
This framework for early learning and childcare was planned to be launched in spring 2020 but was delayed due to the pandemic. The approach to the new framework is that it sets out the elements that will inform us about the impact care and learning for all early learning and childcare settings. The primary purpose of [...]
Today, the working parent has multiple tasks to juggle, and managing childcare can be difficult when needing flexibility. Currently, options for backup childcare are expensive and not always immediately accessible. NMT spoke to Sam Elliott, founder of Daycare SOS about how his industry solution can deliver quick and effective backup childcare and help nurseries Firstly, can [...]
After selling Kids Allowed two years ago, Jennie Johnson, MBE is now embarking on a new venture, My First Five Years. She tells NMT about her new passion.
Orchid Montessori Nursery was sold to a corporate operator in a deal facilitated by Redwoods Dowling Kerr This well-respected Montessori school is registered for 28 children and has been established for many years. It has been operated by our client since 2006. Mr & Mrs Gupta decided to sell Orchid Montessori Nursery due to retirement plans. Our [...]
The UK’s first acquisition deal for a major software provider has closed, securing Famly’s place as the largest early years software provider in the UK Famly has today announced that they will be acquiring FirstSteps. The deal will see more than 600 FirstSteps customers welcomed to the Famly platform in the coming months, supported by FirstSteps [...]
Thrive Childcare and Education, a childcare provider with settings across the UK, have acquired their 38th setting in Poplar Day Nursery, located in Lancashire. The setting is registered for just under 70 children and is rated as ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted Poplars Day Nursery was offered to the market by our clients Vanda and Geoffrey Hope, who [...]
PlayPlus Kindergarten was sold to a corporate operator in a deal facilitated by Redwoods Dowling Kerr The nursery is a friendly, family-owned business that is situated in Hertfordshire and is within easy reach of Hemel Hempstead and Berkhamsted. It offers year-round and term time care for children aged between 3 months and 5 years of age. The [...]
Learning on the job enables people to put into practice the theory they are studying while hands-on engagement and day-to-day work rapidly build skills and confidence Until recently, the most common entry point for early years apprentices was at Level 3 as they trained to be early years educators. This more senior role includes a supervisory [...]
The Early Years Alliance has commented on the latest data on Covid-19 in early years settings, which once again shows reports at a new high. The number of reports reached 4,752 during the week of 17 January 2022, and all-time high. Commenting, Neil Leitch, chief exec of the Early Years Alliance, said: “With more reports of positive Covid [...]
Chris Reid, Connect Childcare, shares thoughts on how technology can assist settings in realising their growth ambitions and improve parental engagement...
As we move to a post pandemic world, we have seen a shift in what people want and need from work. Linda Baston-Pitt shares her insights.
Boogie Mites has announced that it is launching its fully self-paced online training packages for each of its 3 core music programmes.
Growth and expansion within the childcare sector remain high. Nursery growth is exciting and it’s important to manage it well and avoid losing track of the finances, explains Jonathan Amponsah CTA FCCA This article looks at some of the financial traps associated with nursery growth, some practical financial burdens and how to avoid them. 1. Structure How you [...]
With an ambition to be the best quality childcare provider in the UK, fast-growing Family First – which now has 40 nurseries – has been focusing on its team and culture. Here, we find out more … “Where else would you get to share a stage with an armadillo, a skunk and a python?!” It’s an unusual [...]
In response to an alarming rise in early childhood obesity with more than 1 in 4 children (28%) now entering reception overweight or obese, the UK’s largest charitable social enterprise, the London Early Years Foundation (LEYF) is leading the way by opening its professional Chef Academy qualification externally, with the first non-LEYF chefs starting in March. [...]
Leading early years organisations are urging the government to take action as Covid-19 cases in early years settings more than doubles. The government’s latest figures show a sharp increase in settings reporting Covid-19 cases. Ofsted received 3,697 report of cases on 20 December. This is up from 2,935 for the week of 13 December, and 1,601 for [...]
Play therapy is used to help children express what is troubling them when they do not have the verbal language to express their thoughts and feelings. NMT speaks to Sophia O’Neill, course director, postgraduate MA in Practice-Based Play Therapy who demystifies the process of play therapy Play therapy is a form of therapy primarily geared towards children, [...]
Manchester-based parenting app, My First Five Years, which is due to launch in January 2022, has been selected as one of the regional winners in this week’s (6 December) Tech Nation’s Rising Stars competition. The nationwide initiative selects companies that are identified as being the ‘brightest and best’ early-stage tech start-ups. My First Five Years is a [...]
Parents and children have welcomed a new contract secured by the council with Flexible Childcare Services Scotland (FCSS) ahead of the opening of Tillydrone and Cummings Park Nurseries. The news comes after a video showing the benefits of the expansion of funded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) across Aberdeen was released earlier in the week. The two [...]
Early Start Nutrition provide award winning nutrition training to help your setting achieve nutrition excellence. Our team of expert registered nutritionists support early years practitioners to build their knowledge and confidence of nutrition requirements for under 5’s. Why choose Early Start Nutrition Training? As winners of the 2020 NMT Nursery Training and Development award, we understand the important role [...]
Advancements in technology have never been more important when supporting the early years sector to move safely beyond the pandemic, as well as save time, reduce manually-intensive admin tasks and focus on what they do best – child development. So, when nursery chains are heading for expansion, what are some of the considerations they have to [...]
When nursery settings receive a visit from Ofsted, it can often lead to panicked feelings about the impending inspection and a sense of unpreparedness. However, it’s important teams feel confident throughout. Beth-ann Sher, product marketing manager of nursery management software organisation Connect Childcare, explains. An Ofsted inspection is inevitable within the education sector, and yet there are [...]
Labour Party leader, Sir Keir Starmer has set out what he hopes to be a fresh vision for the party at the conference in Brighton. After months of internal disagreement and pressure to counter the government’s policies, Sir Keir and his shadow cabinet have unveiled a series of striking policies including a boost in support for [...]
Scotland’s new Minister for Children and Young People Clare Haughey will be speaking to nursery owners and managers across the country about the future of early learning and childcare (ELC) and how UNCRC Incorporation will impact on ELC at a free event. National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) Scotland organises two free events for members each year. [...]
Montessori Group has appointed writer and broadcaster Carole Stone CBE to the Board of Trustees for a term of three years from September 2021. Carole is an author and freelance radio and television broadcaster, who spent 27 years at the BBC beginning as a newsroom secretary and going on to become the producer of Radio 4’s [...]
The early years of a child’s education are among the most important in their lives. So providing a curriculum which meets their needs, and ensuring educators have the information and support they require to deliver it, is vital. With that in mind, a new research project at the University of Plymouth aims to explore how children up [...]
As childcare settings across the UK return, the need for face-to-face networking, advice and inspiration has never been more crucial. Education professionals are looking for new ways to support the development of the children within their setting while adapting to a new world. On the 24th – 25th September, Childcare & Education Expo returns to the [...]
The Scottish government has published its Financial Sustainable Health Check of the childcare sector In April 2021, the Scottish government began work on a Financial Sustainable Health Check to assess the impact of Covid-19 on the business sustainability of childcare providers, and to assess the impact of financial support which has been available. The report sets out the [...]
The government has announced that CO2 monitors will be provided to all state-funded education settings from September. The move is backed by a £25m government investment and will enable staff to act quickly where ventilation is poor and provide reassurance that existing ventilation measures are working Letting fresh air into indoor spaces can help remove air that contains virus [...]
Gillian McAteer, head of employment law at Citation discusses the challenges faced by employers in the nursery industry It’s fair to say the nursery sector has been a workforce in crisis even before the Covid-19 pandemic began. With underfunding, high-staff turnover, high levels of sickness absences and relatively low employee engagement, the pandemic has only heightened [...]
B.Corp provide external verification that companies can evidence that they balance profit with purpose. B.Corp companies are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on their staff, customers, suppliers, community and the environment, and actually have to change their articles of association in line with this purpose. The idea is that companies are [...]
The government’s failure to include early years and childcare on the recently-expanded self-isolation exemption list could leave critical workers without the childcare they need to work, a new snap poll of over 1,000 nurseries, pre-schools and childminders conducted by the Early Years Alliance has found. The government recently published a list of sectors where fully-vaccinated workers [...]
The government has outlined new guidance for earl years settings and schools as restrictions ease further. Settings will no longer be required to contact parents and carers about positive cases in their classroom groups. NHS Test and Trace will notify positive and close contact cases, although in some circumstances the app will get in contact for [...]
National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) has released three surveys – one each for nursery providers in England, Scotland and Wales – ahead of the Comprehensive Spending Review in England and budget planning in Wales and Scotland. With the Covid-19 pandemic still affecting nursery costs and the numbers of children in settings, the surveys aim to pinpoint [...]
Children starting nursery school this September have spent most of their short lives in lockdown. They have been surrounded by adults wearing masks and have had very little experience of being left with non-family members nor have they been able to enjoy play dates and classes with children of their own age. Georgina Hood, founder & director [...]
The government has announced plans to drop the current bubble system from 19 July. In a statement to parliament, the education secretary, Gavin Williamson said that from 19 July, placing children in protective Covid bubbles will be scrapped among other protective measures. Those in settings and schools that come into contact with someone who has tested positive will be [...]
Almost one in five Scottish local authorities will not be increasing their hourly early learning and childcare funding rates for three to five-year-olds once the 1140 hours policy is mandatory from August. NDNA Scotland put out an FOI to all Scottish local authorities asking what they will be paying childcare providers for the 1140 hour places [...]
Creche Out Limited has been sold to established childcare business Little Leaps Learning Academy Inc. Creche Out Limited, owned by Nicola Alexander, was established in 1992 and operated as a mobile childcare business, providing care for children from birth up until 10 years of age. The business successfully delivered fun and professional care nationwide and internationally [...]
Many settings already have a robust wellbeing strategy in place, but with the added pressure of Covid-19 the need to curate and communicate information to support staff wellbeing has been even more crucial. Leaders and managers have needed to be more intentional and creative in making sure that staff are made fully aware of what resources [...]
The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood aims to boost awareness of and action on the extraordinary impact of the early years, in order to transform society for generations to come. The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood will focus on three key areas of activity in the years to come: promoting and commissioning high-quality research to increase [...]
Who would have thought that in addition to navigating our way through one of the world’s worst pandemics in over a century, we would have time to write a book and create a qualification all about sustainability? But that is exactly what I did with my colleague, Nick Corlett – a LEYF senior manager and now [...]
50 Fantastic Ideas for Sustainability – the new book by leading early years expert and campaigner, June O’Sullivan MBE and Nick Corlett, senior nursery manager and sustainability lead at London Early Years Foundation, is a must read. This super helpful guide, full of exciting ideas for both indoor and outdoor play, features a wealth of activities, [...]
It’s no secret the last 12 months have been a tough time for the early years sector and the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have created many challenges for settings, practitioners and parents alike. Despite the pandemic, we know how resilient this sector is and there have been some really positive outcomes resulting from the recent uncertainty [...]
Connect Childcare has launched its free childcare tool, foundations. The software is aimed at childminders, after school clubs, and smaller nurseries. It has been developed to help the sector move towards a paperless future – minimising admin time and enabling further prioritisation of child development. The solution has taken approximately two years to develop and aims to [...]
To mark World Earth Day (22nd April), one of the UK’s largest and most successful charitable social enterprises, London Early Years Foundation (LEYF) has launched the first ever Level 4 qualification (accredited by CACHE) to teach about the principles of sustainability through pedagogy, process and practice and create Green Champions across early years settings. Framed around [...]
The new Tearmann playstand from Sawdust and Rainbows has been designed to give young children a magical space in which to play and explore. Tearmann, meaning sanctuary in Irish, comes in rainbow, pastel, and natural colourways making it the ideal addition to any playroom. Tearmann is made from sustainably sourced wood and is hand-finished in the [...]
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on a Fit and Healthy Childhood’s 19th report has been published as the vaccine roll-out fuels hopes for an end to the Covid-19 nightmare. But the report claims that unless the mental health crisis for children and young people exposed by the pandemic is addressed urgently by Government, it may become entrenched [...]
Streamlining and improving operations within early years childcare settings is always at the top of the agenda for managers, because greater efficiency not only has a positive impact on staff but on the children who attend nursery, and their parents too. But when there are so many solutions and features on offer from different providers, picking [...]
Following on to a previous article on clean air for children that focused on toxins from diesel and petrol fumes, this article is about reducing toxins inside our nurseries, explains Cheryl Hadland, MD and founder of Tops Day Nurseries and Aspire Training Team. Did you know that air pollution inside can be up to ten times worse [...]
Led by the ICP Equality and Diversity Committee, ICP Nurseries has adopted The Halo Code, the UK’s first Black hair code. No Black employee should have to change their natural or protective hairstyle in order to thrive at work. The Halo Code is made up of an alliance of organisations and individuals working to create a [...]
The UK Government has confirmed that all childminders will now be able to access asymptomatic twice-weekly testing, including home lateral flow test kits. Over the past couple of the weeks, pressure on the Government to expand access to testing has increased. The early years sector has been left behind in announcements regarding testing, vaccinations and funding. The [...]
Incidents of serious harm to children under five where abuse or neglect is known or suspected increased during the early months of the pandemic, and many other children at risk may have been missed due to disruption in the usual pathways for referring children to services. Children’s services are already under pressure as a result [...]
The financial impact of the pandemic is weighing down hard on the childcare sector, from operators, to staff and to families. According to Coram Family and Childcare’s 21st annual Childcare Survey, UK parents are paying 4% more for childcare for children under two, and 5% more for children aged two than they were one year ago. On [...]
North Oxfordshire MP Victoria Prentis (the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Farming, Fisheries and Food) has joined leading meals provider, apetito, for a virtual visit at its Trowbridge site to see the company’s lateral flow testing, first-hand and discuss the benefits that mass Covid testing brings both to the individual, and the business. apetito was one [...]
World Book Day is being held on Thursday 4th March and for the event, leading UK educational resource supplier Hope Education, have decided to focus on the reader who may not be looking forward to celebrating their favourite book: the reluctant reader. Working with teachers and educators, Hope Education has compiled 10 easy to apply [...]
The Government has today set out its plan for the return of all pupils to schools and colleges as part of the roadmap for leaving lockdown, published this afternoon on gov.uk. The Government has been clear that the return to face-to-face education is the national priority and that two weeks’ notice would be given ahead of any [...]
The early years of a child’s life are uniquely important in terms of their development. Therefore, mental health and wellbeing in young children is monitored more and recognised in scientific research. The Anna Freud Centre survey, carried out at the end of 2020, looked at early years providers’ experiences in relation to the mental health needs [...]
Leading education organisations, children’s services organisations and unions are jointly urging the government to ensure that those working in early years settings, schools and colleges, as well as staff and carers supporting vulnerable children, are prioritised in Phase 2 of the Covid vaccination programme, following reports that the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) [...]
Our world seems to value being busy, rushing around, having one hundred things on the go at once. Using the natural landscape around us can help ease anxieties and help us slow down for our own wellbeing. James Boddey, director of Busy Bodies shares his views. I want to explain the main themes of time and [...]
The Women and Equalities Committee has published its report on one of its sub-inquiries, ‘Unequal impact? Coronavirus and the gendered economic impact’ which sets out how the economic impacts of the pandemic have affected women and men disproportionately. The childcare sector is heavily dominated by women. Therefore PACEY submitted evidence for this in writing and orally as a representative [...]
Reports of more Covid cases across early years continues to rise according to Government data. The Early Years Alliance has responded to the worrying increase of cases while staff continue to lose faith in the Government’s promise for support. On 8 Feb, Health Secretary, Matt Hancock responded to a question about access to testing for early [...]
Today, the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon announced a phased return to school for Scotland’s youngest children, with nurseries and all primary pupils from P1 to P3 back in the classroom from 22 February. Sturgeon confirmed that the current lockdown – with its stay-at-home message – would remain in place until the end of the [...]
1 in 5 early years workers are considering leaving the sector as Covid hits mental health and wellbeing, according to the Early Years Alliance. The pandemic has hit the childcare sector hard and it is the workforce that are suffering the most. A comprehensive online survey carried out between December 2020 and January 2021 by the Early [...]
The Welsh Government has announced that they will make funds available to local authorities to align the rate for delivering Foundation Phase to the same amount as the Childcare Offer for Wales (£4.50). Funding will be available from this month. In 2019, the Government undertook a pilot project, in partnership with Flintshire County Council, to test the [...]
A new survey which was conducted jointly by the Alliance and independent sector analysts Ceeda reveals high positive rates in early years staff. The Early Years Alliance has called on the Government to take urgent action to ensure the safety of those working in nurseries, pre-school and childminding settings in England during national lockdown as a shocking [...]
The latest data from the Department for Education (DfE) shows the number of reported Covid-19 cases in early years settings rose to 1,267 in the week beginning 4 January – more than double the number for the previous week. The data, collected by Ofsted, shows only the number of settings reporting at least one case of Covid, [...]
As Government rolls out asymptomatic testing for people unable to work from home, apetito is proud to have led the way with a rapid testing pilot. The company has been piloting Lateral Flow Testing (LFT) since December at its food production and distribution sites in the South-West, testing around 450 of its front-line essential workers. Under the [...]
The Early Years Alliance has highlighted and responded to an inaccurate statement made by Dougal Hargreaves, deputy chief scientific adviser, Department for Education, during today’s Education Committee evidence session. In answer to a question by Labour MP Fleur Anderson on why early years providers had not been included in the DfE’s lateral flow testing plans, Mr Hargreaves [...]
The start of a new year is a beautiful time. Why not use the new year to introduce a new way of thinking and a new focus? James Boddey, director of Busy Bodies explains. Why? This question should be the beginning, the start and the centre. As a staff team our aim for this year is to [...]
The Department for Education announced that early years workers in private and voluntary run settings must attend community testing centres while maintained nurseries and nursery classes in schools get ‘at-home’ test kits. This clearly highlights how the sector is being treated so differently from schools, despite facing even more challenges as they have been told to [...]
The early years sector is facing a crisis, standing alone on the frontline while the virus surges across London. Nursery leaders are urgently calling on the Government to give nursery workers the recognition they deserve and allow free access to Covid-19 testing to prevent further cases among staff. Parents and essential workers across London risk not being [...]
A snap poll by National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) shows that the average nursery has a third fewer children than normal and figures published by the Department for Education suggest this could be closer to half across all early years settings. According to the findings, 58% of nurseries are not confident they will survive until Easter [...]
The Early Years Alliance has raised concerns about the Prime Minister’s statements on the early years during his Downing Street Briefing. So far, the sector has largely been left out of statements regarding the national lockdown and relief packages. After the statement, Boris Johnson responded to a question from a member of the public about the reasons for [...]
Leading early years organisations the Early Years Alliance, the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (PACEY) and the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) have called on the Government to take immediate action to protect the sector. Plunging into another lockdown with little warning rings similar tones to the abruptness of the first lockdown in March 2020. [...]
With the Government doing a U-turn and closing all schools across England, nursery workers and early years providers have voiced their anger and anxiety over early years being left out of from any mention on the vaccine. Now on the frontlines alone again, the sector is calling on the Government to vaccinate all essential nursery and [...]
The national lockdown across England is impacting communities and businesses of all sectors. The early years sector has once again been asked to be on the frontline, remaining open for children despite safety concerns and staff shortages. While it is clear that action to supress the virus is necessary, the support to help the early years [...]
Prime Minister, Boris Johnson announced a national lockdown for England last night which included closing schools. Primary schools, secondary schools and colleges are to move to remote learning for most children until mid-February with the decision being reviewed regularly. However, the PM explained that childcare services for young children will remain open. The announcement focused significantly more [...]
Yesterday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon recalled parliament for an emergency session to respond to the increasing rate of transmission of the new variant of Covid-19. Nurseries and schools across Scotland are now closed until February 1 with the exception of vulnerable children and key workers. The First Minister expressed her disappointment at having to close nurseries: ‘Just as [...]
During the Autumn term Ofsted carried out research interviews with 739 early years providers between 5 October and 11 December. Ofsted found that while children who have returned to their settings are improving, there are fewer children than expected are taking up early years places following the first national lockdown. The financial impact on the early [...]
Giggles Galore, a well-respected private children’s day nursery has been sold to a local operator looking to expand their services in the area. Situated in the East Midlands town of Spalding, the independent nursery and education setting offers all-year-round care and indoor and outdoor learning for children aged 0-5. The nursery has successfully operated since 2014 [...]
To mark the end of an extremely turbulent year, Kids Planet Widnes decided to create time capsule. Staff and children from Kids Planet Widnes collaborated this month to assemble and bury a Covid-19 themed time capsule. The time capsule captured a current and relevant period not only for Widnes but the for the rest of the [...]
Ofsted has published its second report in a series highlighting the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on children. The report stated that many children have left early years settings since the first national restrictions and have not returned. Almost all providers said that the pandemic had significantly impacted the learning and development of children who had [...]
Young Money has this week launched its new Money Heroes financial education programme, centred around an innovative and sector-leading online platform designed to help teachers, providers and parents collaborate on the delivery of meaningful and fun home and school learning. Developed with support from HSBC UK, the new programme aims to improve financial capabilities of one [...]
Boris Johnson has announced England will go back into lockdown from midnight on Thursday. The second full nationwide shut-down of 2020 comes as the number of Covid-19 cases threatens to overwhelm the NHS. It’s a grim looking picture for the UK and only heightened more so as the number of confirmed cases has surpassed the one [...]
The Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown has resulted in a large amount of change for the childcare sector in England. The Survey of Childcare and Early Years Providers and COVID-19 (SCEYP COVID) aims to understand how childcare providers have responded to the pandemic, the status of childcare provision and any potential longer-term consequences for the childcare [...]
Hosted by the EIG Business Women in Education network, in partnership with EducationInvestor Global and NMT Magazine, this two-day, free-to-register virtual event demystified complex challenges facing early years investors and operators alike by uniting a chorus of market experts to spark a dialogue between key stakeholders in the sector. Any questions or queries? Get in touch with [...]
The Early Years Alliance has launched a new survey for early years providers, in order to gain an up-to-date understanding of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the sector as the Government prepares to launch a Comprehensive Spending Review later this autumn. The survey, which follows two previous surveys carried out by the Alliance during [...]
This morning, the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak announced his ‘winter plan’ to support businesses over the coming months. The Job Support Scheme will help employees on part-time hours as a consequence of Covid-19 disruption to businesses and the economy, replacing the furlough scheme at the end of October. The Government and businesses together will continue to top up [...]
A Step Ahead Nurseries in West Sussex, has been acquired by Ann Education, a new entrant to the early years sector in the UK. The nurseries are made up of a group of six settings. Patrick Lou, from China and another private investor funded Ann Education. Lou has a background in banking and finance. As well as [...]
The Government has shared new guidance on managing potential Covid-19 outbreaks for early years settings. The early years sector has largely remained open during the whole crisis and groups like the Covid-19 Response Group have been at the forefront of delivering information and guidance to help settings adjust to the new environment. The Government’s guidance looks at [...]
Co-op Childcare operates 45 nursery and pre-schools across the UK and strived to go above and beyond during the pandemic. As well as remaining open for key worker children and vulnerable children. Co-op Childcare launched the Frontline Hero Support Fund. The Co-op kick started the fund with an initial donation of £25,000 but in total, the campaign [...]
Croner delivers specific knowledge combined with practicality to give businesses guidance and share best practices. This platform has become popular for nurseries. Now, Croner is extending its free access offer to the Croner-i platform for all nurseries until the end of September. Croner-i has a wealth of information on there to help nurseries with HR and H&S. [...]
In last week’s blog we considered how regular music practise in the setting over this Summer can boost school ready language and literacy skills. Incorporating this music practise can help children in disadvantaged situations ‘catch up’ on missed pre-school time, contributing to closing the attainment gap. This week we’ll give you information and motivation to [...]
John Swinney, Deputy First Minister of Scotland and Education Secretary has announced that teachers and nursery staff will get on-demand testing for Covid-19 if they have been at risk of infection, even if they have no symptoms. Swinney made the announcement to the Scottish Parliament following the opening of Scottish schools across the country. In his statement, [...]
Louise Bull, Boogie Mites (BM), discusses Music for Wellbeing in early years with NMT. Cache.org states that ‘Children’s wellbeing is without doubt at the core of the Early Years Foundations Stage (EYFS)‘, and this has been brought further into the limelight with the challenges of COVID-19. With so much change and uncertainty, it’s difficult to settle [...]
In one of our NMT Discussions we spoke to Dr Helen Edwards and Steve Edwards, co-founders and directors at The Foundation Stage Forum and Tapestry. Our conversation delved into many different topics including how best to support practitioners during this crisis. Because remote working has now become our new normal online communities and forums are becoming more [...]
Flexible Childcare Services Scotland (FCSS) has officially launched Flexibility Pathway Connect that will enable parents to easily book ‘slots’ of childcare to match their own new working routines. The pandemic has thrown our daily routines completely out the window. Many parents over the next couple of months may find it more difficult to access childcare as they [...]
NDNA Scotland has taken a snapshot survey of nurseries across Scotland as they are allowed to reopen from today. Scotland, unlike England did not reopen its nurseries at the beginning of June but is carefully starting the process from today onwards. From the experience we have witnessed in England and Wales, there is always a drop [...]
With the UK having been in lockdown for over 10 weeks, it’s difficult to imagine how much the world has changed – both in and out of the Early Years (EY) landscape. And following the announcement that nurseries would be opening their doors to children once again at the start of this month has undoubtedly [...]
Working alongside dot2dot Nursery Insurance, 70 early years organisations have joined forces to help the sector prepare for life and business to continue post lockdown. The COVID-19 Reaction Group has produced a set of Standard Operating Procedures that will support other nursery settings to build on from their own circumstances moving forward. As June 1st nears, many [...]
Top stories for nurseries and early years organisations. Headlines at a glance News Managing the risk while re-opening the sectorReady to open? Key points to get thereEarly Years Alliance criticises lack of government supportChildcare market report points to a resilient sector for the futureChristie & Co: Covid-19 – Guidance for Early Years Settings News Managing the risk while re-opening the [...]
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Top stories for nurseries and early years organisations. Headlines at a glance News MarcoPolo Learning offers 60 days free home learningPlay at Home Fest 2020Nursery group secures £1.6m loan to remain open during the pandemicShadow early years minister reappointedStepping up in a crisis: chefs feeding the communityBristol-based nursery to remain open Research Half of UK nurseries remain open for key [...]
Do you have a rising star that has brought something new and innovative to your nursery? Freelife (by Ontex Healthcare) and Nursery Management Today have joined together to award a dedicated member of staff who has led the way in creating new ideas and solutions for their nursery – your Rising Star. The Rising Star Competition [...]
Beautiful Grow.Upp playhouses allow imagination to take flight and offer exciting areas of discovery for children aged 0-6 years. Inspired by nature, this unique collection of playhouses, furniture and play cabinets invite children to feel comfortable and creative. View Grow.upp range So many places for children to discover! Rest retreats Varied surfaces and mirrors for a sensory experience Stairs and slides for movement and climbing Carefully [...]
Both Fafunia & The New Factory are proud to work in collaboration in bringing you their space saving product the BunkCot. The BunkCots are designed for Day Nursery settings as they arrive with you fully assembled and complete with mattresses. Each cot is solidly made from Birch Plywood and fitted sheets are also available including [...]
Creating Classrooms, based in Northumberland, is bringing Haba furniture to the UK market after being approached by the international company to distribute its goods. Haba is a leading manufacturer in its native Germany as well as other parts of Europe and America, but has yet to make its mark in the UK. The company approached Matthew and [...]
Co-op Childcare has launched a pioneering new health and wellbeing programme that will teach young children about healthy eating and food provenance, based on research that shows nearly all parents want more education on nutrition in nurseries. The initiative has been led by research and insight sourced from parents, which shows that 98% would like their [...]
Here at NMT Magazine, we work with a wide range of nurseries and suppliers across the early years sector. Our Partners are actively involved in some capacity with the NMT brand, which includes the National NMT Nursery Awards, Scottish NMT Nursery Awards, Nursery Agendas, other Events and of course, the Magazine itself. We are proud to work alongside [...]
Many thanks to our current Category Sponsors: *Click the image above to go back to the Awards page NURSERY TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT CATEGORY SPONSOR A leading ethical provider, Co-operative Childcare operates 44 nurseries nationwide, with a simple goal of offering children an amazing educational experience from birth to pre-school. It’s a model that works, and the group has grown from just 6 sites [...]
Many thanks to our current Category Sponsors: *Click the image above to go back to the Awards page NURSERY TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT CATEGORY SPONSOR Since 2004, Azilo Training Ltd have been delivering Social Care training throughout the Scotland and since 2009 across the UK. From short courses to our SVQ apprenticeship Programme and even our award winning online [...]
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Here at NMT Magazine, we host several events throughout the year from our networking Nursery Agendas, to the Scottish NMT Nursery Awards, to NMT Top 20 and of course the best way to round off the year with our annual National NMT Nursery Awards! Please see below for the NMT 2021 Events Schedule: Event Name Date Venue NMT Nursery Agenda 22nd July 2021 Stratford Manor Hotel & Spa, [...]
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National NMT Nursery Awards – Sponsor Page As part of your sponsorship you are required to provide us with some important information in order for the lead up to the awards to run as smoothly as possible. It is very important that you complete the form at the bottom of this page in order for us to [...]
Scottish NMT Nursery Awards – Sponsor Page As part of your sponsorship you are required to provide us with some important information in order for the lead up to the awards to run as smoothly as possible. It is very important that you complete the form at the bottom of this page in order for us to [...]
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Useful links NMT October 2020 Surveys and research The Covid-19 pandemic and the early years workforce: Staffing decisions in an uncertain environment – https://epi.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/The-Covid-Pandemic-early-years-workforce-Aug-2020-2.pdf GenderEYE survey: Male workforce across early years – https://gendereye.org/survey/ MITEY: Men in the Early Years – https://miteyuk.org/why-we-do-it/ Institute for Fiscal Studies – https://ifs.org.uk/uploads/R178-Family-time-use-and-home-learning-during-the-COVID-19-lockdown-1.pdf The Food Foundation – https://foodfoundation.org.uk/new-food-foundation-data-sept-2020/ Government Attendance in education and early years settings during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak – [...]
The NMT Top 20 2019 awards returned once again to the panoramic 31st floor of the Barclays HQ in Canary Wharf on Thursday 20th June, 2019. The purpose of the annual NMT Top 20 is to discover, recognise and reward the people and businesses who are most influential and inspiring within the whole childcare sector. Congratulations to our overall winner [...]
Carol Whitehouse is one of the lucky five to be nominated for Nursery Lifetime Achievement Award in this year’s NMT Nursery Awards. Here she tells us why she’s loves her job and what’s in store for the future How did it feel to be nominated for the Nursery Lifetime Achievement Award? Surprised but then I began to [...]
Level 5 Childcare Qualifications & Funding Jennie Johnson, chief executive, Kids Allowed “There is currently no funding pathway (neither apprenticeship, student loan, or other) for a level 5 qualification in Childcare, meaning there is also no path for colleagues to gain the entry level required for their level 6 degree. “The pathway we used to have, the Level [...]
Subscription hotline: 0207 104 2000 Subscriptions: [email protected] UK Annual Subscription Rate £65.00 UK Annual Direct Debit Subscription Rate: £58.50 Student Annual Subscription Rate: £45.00 (with valid student ID) Overseas Annual Subscriptions: Europe: £85.00 Worldwide: £95.00 Nursery Management Today (NMT) is a bi-monthly publication aimed at all staff with a management role within nurseries. It recognises the important responsibilities and demands placed [...]
The 19th National Nursery Awards will be returning to the prestigious Hilton London Metropole on Saturday 20th November 2021. Keep your eyes peeled for information and dates for entries opening in the soon! If you are interested in category sponsorship for 2021, or require further information please contact Caroline Bowern: [email protected] or 0797 4643292 Category Sponsors: Last year… Winners announced! The virtual awards presentation and [...]
Welcome to the NMT Nursery Awards Here at NMT Magazine, we host two annual award ceremonies designed to discover, reward and celebrate the very best people in the nursery sector. The first is held in September and highlights the best in the Scottish Nursery sector in our Scottish NMT Nursery Awards. The second is our largest [...]
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